Microswitch relay



June 4, 1963 N. E. PARSONS 3,092,702

MICROS'WITCH RELAY Filed Jan. 29, 1962 FIG. 1

FIG.3 I78 H INVEN TOR.

Neil E. Parsons v 9 Airy.

United States Patent 3,092,702 MICROSWITCH RELAY Neil E. Parsons, Addison, Ill., assignor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Northlake, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,314 3 Claims. (Cl. 200104) This invention relates to a relay, and more particularly to a telephone type relay mounting microswitches.

Heretofore, relays having microswitches mounted thereon were limited to single or double switch mountings. Each of the microswitches was actuated by a conventional armature arm. Usually these switches were secured directly to the heelpiece of the relay and were thus rather difficult to adjust.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a microswitch relay having an improved mounting arrangement which facilitates rapid adjustment of the microswitches.

It is another object of the invention to provide an arrangement whereby, in spite of the existing space limitations, more than two microswitches may be mounted on a telephone type relay, with facilities for independently adjusting the operation of each microswitch.

It is a feature of this invention to provide an actuating member secured to the arms of the double arm armature of a relay to individually actuate each microswitch.

Briefly, the embodiment of the invention described herein relates to a relay having a microswitch unit comprising three microswitches mounted side by side Within a U-shaped bracket. A three fingered member is welded to the arms of the double arm armature of the relay and extends to a point beneath the respective microswitch. The center finger of this three fingered member is relatively rigid and the microswitch unit is adjusted in the U-shaped bracket until the center switch can be operated by this center finger. The two outer fingers are less rigid and are then bent into adjustment so that they operate the outer microswitches.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a relay showing the armature and the bracket which mounts the microswitches. The armature is in its unactuated position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the U-shaped mounting bracket showing the elongated holes which make it possible to adjust the microswitch unit within the bracket.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the three fingered armature extension member which is secured to the armature so as to facilitate independent actuation of each microswitch.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the armature with the three fingered member welded in position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing the relative position of the operating plungers of the microswitches and the fingers of the three fingered member when the armature is in its unactuated position.

Referring now to the drawings, bracket is held to heelpiece 22 of relay 24 by bolts 21 through holes as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 Holes 15 of bracket 10 are spaced in a pattern corresponding to the holes which are drilled in the helpiece of the relay for attaching conventional spring pileups to the heelpiece (see, for example, U.S. Patent 2,401,213 to F. E. Wood). Thus, no additional holes are required in the heelpiece of the relay to mount the Ushaped bracket of the instant disclosure. The microswitch assembly 23 (including the three microswitches 16, 17 and 18 more clearly shown in FIG. 5) is mounted in bracket 10 by bolts 19 and 20 though holes 13 and 14 respectively. Bracket 10' has a fiat body portion which fits against heelpiece 22 of relay 24, with two sidewalls extending upwardly from the front of said body portion. It is noted that holes 13 in bracket 10 are elongated so as to permit bolt 19--and thus microswitch assembly 23to pivot about bolt 20. When assembly 23 is pivoted to the desired position, bolts 19 and 20 are tightened and assembly 23 is held stationary with respect to bracket 10.

Three fingered member 11 in FIG. 3 is welded to the arms of double arm armature 12 as shown in FIG. 4. This armature 12 is mounted in a conventional manner to relay 24 with finger 16B, 17B and 18B of member 11 extending rearwardly to a point beneath the actuating plunger 16A, 17A and 18A of microswitches 16, 17, and 18 respectively as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. It is noted in FIG. 3 that center finger 17B of member 11 is wider than outer fingers 16B and 18B, thus this center finger is more rigid than the outer fingers.

The aforementioned construction facilitates adjustment of the three micro-switches in only two steps. First, the microswitch assembly 23 is adjusted as a unit within bracket 10 until rigid center finger 17B properly operates center microswitch 17. Bolts 19 and 20 are tightened and unit 23 is held stationary.

The second step is to adjust the outer fingers 16B and 18B (by bending them) so as to properly operate the outer switches 16 and 18 respectively. The relay is now in adjustment.

It should be noted that the arrangement described above permits the mounting of three micro-switches on a single relay and thereby permits, for example, the switching of three difierent power circuits by the relay. Yet the overall dimensions of the assembly are not greater than those of a conventional relay having conventional spring pileups. Furthermore, in spite of the reduction in size of the assembly, provision is made for independent adjustment of each microswitch.

It will be further understood that the present inven tion makes it possible to readily convert or adapt a conventional telephone type relay to multi-microswitch operation.

While I have described the above principles of my invention in connection with a specific embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope and spirit of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A telephone type relay including the usual heelpiece, electromagnet and armature, a bracket rigidly secured to said heelpiece, a plurality of microswitches mounted in said bracket in parallel relation to each other, a pair of bolts securing said microswitches in said bracket, one of said bolts passing through a single hole in the sides of said bracket, the other bolt passing through arcuate slots in each side of said bracket, said microswitches adjustable as a unit, relative to the armature,

by moving said other bolt in its arcuate slots around said first bolt as a pivot point, a plurality of fingers on said armature, one for operating each of said microswitches, certain of said fingers independently adjustable relative to the associated microswitches.

2. A telephone type relay such as claimed in claim 1, in which said fingers comprise a central, relatively rigid finger, and a pair of relatively flexible fingers, mounted as a unit on said armature, said microswitches adjustable as a unit relative to said central finger by means of said other bolt, and said flexible fingers adjustable relative their respective microswitches by bending said flexible fingers.

3. A telephone type relay having the usual heelpiece, armature, and electromagnet, comprising a bracket having a flat portion secured to said heelpiece and having a pair of flanges extending upward from said flat portion, a single hole and an are shaped hole in each flange, a plurality of microswitches removab ly secured between said flanges by means of a bolt passing through said single holes and another bolt passing through said are shaped holes, said microswitches adjustable relative to said armature by loosening said other bolt and moving it around in said are shaped holes to thereby move all of said microswitches as a unit toward and away from said armature, a series of fingers mounted on said armature one for operating each microswitch, the center one of said fingers being relatively rigid and the outer two of said fingers being relatively flexible and therefore adjustable relative to their respective microswitches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,405,319 McMaster et a1. Aug. 6, 1946 2,588,534 Jorgensen Mar. 11, 1952 2,853,567 Kock Sept. 23, 1958 2,904,653 Leo Sept. 15, 1959 2,912,538 McDiarmid Nov. 10, 1959 2,942,078 Hale June 21, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,102,284 Germany Mar. 16, 1961 

1. A TELEPHONE TYPE RELAY INCLUDING THE USUAL HEELPIECE, ELECTROMAGNET AND ARMATURE, A BRACKET RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID HEELPIECE, A PLURALITY OF MICROSWITCHES MOUNTED IN SAID BRACKET IN PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER, A PAIR OF BOLTS SECURING SAID MICROSWITCHES IN SAID BRACKET, ONE OF SAID BOLTS PASSING THROUGH A SINGLE HOLE IN THE SIDES OF SAID BRACKET, THE OTHER BOLT PASSING THROUGH ARCUATE SLOTS IN EACH SIDE OF SAID BRACKET, SAID MICROSWITCHES ADJUSTABLE AS A UNIT, RELATIVE TO THE ARMATURE, BY MOVING SAID OTHER BOLT IN ITS ARCUATE SLOTS AROUND SAID FIRST BOLT AS A PIVOT POINT, A PLURALITY OF FINGERS ON SAID ARMATURE, ONE FOR OPERATING EACH OF SAID MICROSWITCHES, CERTAIN OF SAID FINGERS INDEPENDENTLY AJDUSTABLE RELATIVE TO THE ASSOCIATED MICROSWITCHES. 